Woodview Marsh Restoration

Background - Woodview Marsh is a degraded wetland meadow just north of Larpenteur Ave between Rice and Dale Streets in Roseville, MN. The area was partially drained for agriculture in the early part of the 20th century and was used as a community garden in the 1970's. It has been fallow (left alone) for the past 20 years and is overgrown with thistle and other invasive and exotic species.

Project Goal - Woodview Marsh will be restored from a low quality, highly disturbed wetland to functioning wetland with a diversity of plants beneficial to wildlife. The enhanced wetland will create a "wetland bank" which will be used to mitigate future road construction in Ramsey County.

Project Plan

Initial Investigation (2001)

Monitoring wells were installed in Woodview Marsh in May of 2001 to create a depth to water table model. The wells were monitored every five to seven days until early November 2001 and the data collected determine that 3.5 acres had been drained. Plant communities were also mapped during this time.

Phase 1 (Fall 2002 and Winter 2003)

Ramsey County Public works will excavate portions of the wetland to create open water habitat. In general, the deepest portions of the wetland will be around 4 feet, but may get as deep as 5 feet during wet periods. A weir, or control structure, will constructed at the outlet of the wetland's main drainage ditch on the SW corner of the parcel. The weir will prevent water from flowing from the wetland unless the water table reaches a certain height. The discharge height is well below the flood stage that would affect local property owners.

Phase 2 (2003-2005)

Exotic and invasive plants will be treated with herbicide, and native vegetation will be established. Natives will be started both by seeding and by planting small plugs of seedlings. Two island areas for duck production will be seeded in upland vegetation. Since thistle and reed canary grass (undesired plants) were allowed to flourish in the wetland for so long, establishing the native vegetation will be the most challenging part of the project, and possibly one of the most important for wildlife, water qualify, and aesthetics.